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Community Corner

I REMEMBER HIGHVIEW AVE IN THE 60'S

Highview Avenue in Altadena. A time of baby boomers, the milk man and unlocked doors. The houses on highview ave. in Altadena I believe, are the only tract houses in town. The famous architect, Gregory Ain, drew up the plans. They seem ahead of their time. Built in 1948, the "Park planned homes" are unusual for the area. My earliest memories are on that St. in the early 1960's.

Let me give you the picture.

Their were over fifty baby boomer kids on that one block. Everyone knew everyone. Most of us could run, and roam anywhere, stop sign to stop sign, as long as we came in when the st. lights came on. Their was, the milk man, and the ice cream man, who came by twice a day. Every Saturday had a different theme, hide-n-seek, paper airplanes, flying kites, or making an obstacle course in someone's back yard. Their were flying in a box days, when large appliance box's could propel one down the block faster than you could run. The neighbor with the pool that everyone swam in all summer. And the other neighbor who didn't want anyone in their pool, and went on vacation, only to come home two days early to find half the block swimming in their pool. Their was the lady who taught bible to kids on Saturday,  the guy who had chickens, and wasn't afraid to cut their heads off to cook them. Doors were unlocked all day, and many at night. From the view of a six year old, everyone of every race got along. It was the early sixties. My parents never told me anything about race relations. My neighbor may not have known either. He was black, and I white were best friends, not being burdened by past generations, or the world beyond our block. A kid could wake up on a Saturday. or summer morning, and have a world of adventure, and interact kids of every age, and background, as long as we came home by the time the street lights came on.

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And everyone knew to do the right thing, because as free as we were to run around, every parent on that block had the authority to reprimand bad behavior to anyone's kids. ...(except that swimming pool thing, and a bunch more things like that)

That's how I remember Altadena in the early 60's

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